Turkey, France say can give monitors for Gaza ceasefire

Turkish FM Babacan said his country, which has been active in trying to end Israeli violence in Gaza, would be prepared to contribute monitors.

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07 Ocak 2009 Çarşamba 09:08

Turkey and France said on Tuesday they were willing to contribute to an international monitoring team for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel launched a ground offensive last weekend.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said his country, which has been active in trying to end Israeli violence in Gaza, would be prepared to contribute monitors.

"If Turkey is asked to be in such an international monitoring team, we are going to be of course willing to be there," Babacan told reporters before the special U.N. session.

"International monitoring mechanisms might prove necessary and we are willing to contribute to this," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also told a session of the U.N. Security Council.

Kouchner said France was awaiting Israel's response to a ceasefire proposal announced by Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and "we harbor hope that it will be a positive one."